Page 84 of Bear Hunt

Kylie’s eyes have glazed over, her skin paler than I’ve ever seen it, and before anyone can do anything, she collapses to the ground.

For a brief instant, life seems to freeze as we all struggle to understand what is happening in front of us. Then, like a perfect choreography, screams and shouts erupt all around us but it’s impossible to distinguish the individual voices.

“Call nine-one-one!”

“Get some blankets over here!”

“Mac! We need you!”

The last one is Bear as he lifts me, places me to the side, and rushes over to Kylie, whose eyes are closed and skin is turning a bluish tint. That can’t be good.

“Athena, take Paxton.” Bear’s command is sharp but I can tell it’s more about his worry than it is about anger. My feet move instantly, and in just a few steps I’m wrapping my arms around a screaming, shaking, Paxton who is fighting me every step I take back to give Mac and Bear room to work.

The ambulance arrives in less than two minutes since they were parked on the side of the festivities. The relief I feel is immediate.

“Female, mid-forties, collapsed, unconscious—” I don’t hear the rest because, in my arms, the struggles turn to dead weight as Paxton’s body falls to the ground just feet away from his mom.

“Bear! Bear! Help!”

Chapter Thirty-One

Bear

“He’s fine, sir. Your son just passed out from all the stress.” We’re in the second ambulance, rushing to the hospital right behind the one transporting Kylie. I don’t correct the EMT about Pax being my kid because it doesn’t fucking matter at this point. I just needed to know he’d be okay.

“You have any updates about his mother?” The guy is keeping tabs on Pax, watching the monitor and checking his pulse.

“No, you’ll know more in the E.R, I’m sorry.” With my eyes trained on Pax, I keep his small hand wrapped tightly in my huge ones by comparison while racing thoughts invade my brain. Things I can’t control, like who’s going to take care of Kylie if she hurt herself badly? Paxton is only twelve, he needs to live a happy, balanced life, not become a caregiver before he’s even a teenager.

The intrusive thoughts inside my head want to remind me that there’s a worse outcome possible but I refuse to give it voice. No fucking way. No.

“Mom?” Paxton’s little body sits upright like a fucking vampire coming out of its coffin. It’s surreal.

“Hey, little bro, you’re all good, you’re all good. Lie down, okay.” My eyes search him out, wondering if he remembers what happened, but it only takes a second for his head to swing around and his tear-filled eyes to lock onto mine.

Fuck my life, his trembling bottom lip is about to send me reeling but I have to be his rock right now. I can’t let him down, that’s not an option. His father did that enough throughout Paxton’s young life.

“Where is she, Bear? Is she okay?” Just as he finishes his sentence, twin tears streak down his cheeks and land on his lap, followed by a stream he can’t stop or even control.

“I don’t know but—” I don’t have time to finish my thought before the ambulance comes to a complete stop and the EMT swings the back doors open.

“Let us do our jobs, sir.”

I’m about to slam my fist in this guy’s face but I realize that it’s a me problem, the protector wanting to shield his little cub.

Well, Kylie’s little cub, but it’s all the same. She’s Athena’s friend, ergo she’s under my protection. And Pax, well, he’s my little bro. He’s family.

The driver comes around, and as I jump off the back, they both slide the stretcher out with Paxton trying to jump off. In the distance, people are yelling stats and orders. It feels like complete chaos and I know for a fact Pax is feeling it too.

“Hey, kid, we can’t let you get up, we’ll get into a whole lot of trouble, okay?” The driver is a lot friendlier, doing her best to soothe Paxton, but he’s not hearing it. Not caring. From hisshaking head like a “no” on mental repeat, I’m guessing he gives zero shits about anything but his mom.

“Look, his mom was in the wagon in front of us. He’s freaking out. Cut him some slack, all right?” I ask, using my customer service voice to keep everyone from losing their shit around here.

The driver sighs and looks back to Pax.

“Quicker you let us roll you in there, the quicker you can see your mom, okay? I’ll even make sure you get an update right away.” At that, Paxton lies back down but his fingers are tapping away on the stretcher like he’s counting something in his head.

I don’t need a degree in psychology to know it’s a coping mechanism when shit gets out of control for him.

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